Real Madrid’s policy of landing high-profile players on a free transfer looks set to continue and two Premier League sides could lose out.
Real Madrid have notably shifted their transfer strategy in recent years, focusing on signing elite players whose contracts are nearing expiration, allowing them to move to the Bernabéu as free agents.
In four of the past five transfer windows, Madrid have landed top-tier talent without paying a transfer fee—bringing in David Alaba in 2021, Antonio Rüdiger in 2022, Kylian Mbappé in 2024, and most recently, Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool.
Despite being a lifelong Liverpool fan, Alexander-Arnold allowed his contract to run down before making the switch to Madrid. The Spanish giants ultimately paid a £10 million fee to secure his early arrival in time for the Club World Cup.
While Madrid have also made significant purchases—such as Dean Huijsen and Franco Mastantuono—reports indicate the club is already planning its next major free signing, putting two Premier League clubs on alert.
According to Marca, teams are growing increasingly wary of Madrid’s approach, with Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté emerging as the leading candidate to join the Spanish side on a free transfer. The French defender recently rejected a contract extension, and with his current deal expiring next summer, concerns are mounting at Anfield over a repeat of the Alexander-Arnold situation.
In addition, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera have also been linked as potential future free-agent targets, though Konaté is reportedly Madrid’s top priority.
Ibrahima Konaté’s contract renewal at Liverpool remains uncertain, despite reports in May suggesting that talks had made progress, according to Liverpool ECHO journalist Paul Gorst.
Conflicting stories have circulated: some claimed Konaté was unhappy with the club’s offer amid interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, while others suggested he was close to signing a new deal. However, the 26-year-old defender has publicly dismissed those rumors.
Speaking to the media, Konaté said:
“Everything you saw on social media is completely fake. I didn’t even ask the club for anything. They made me an offer, and I responded—nothing more.”
He continued:
“All the speculation that I want to wait, or that I’m asking for more—it’s fake. Even some top journalists claimed in November I was close to signing, and I was like, ‘They know more than me?’ That simply wasn’t true at the time.”
Konaté admitted he was frustrated by the misinformation, especially as it painted him as reluctant to commit.
“I knew people would start thinking I didn’t want to sign, but I was never actually close to doing so. We’ll see what happens,” he concluded.
